Drying-machine.



A. B. STARR.

DRYING MACHINE.

Patented Mar. 18,1919.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 7. 191,6.

A. B. STARR.

DRYING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED Nov. 7. 191s. 1,297,926. Patented MM, 18, 1919.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

SVI/00140@ A. B. STARR.

DRYING MACHINE.

APPucATloN man Nov.1, 191e.

Patented Mar. 18, 1919.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

A. B. STARR.

DRYING MACHINE.

APrLlcATxoN FILED Nov.1'. Issa.

Patented Mar. 18,1919".

4 SHEETS-SHEET-4.

1MM f5? @au SHOM/w13 S UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

.ALDEN IB. STARR, 0F BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

Danna-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 18, 1919.

Application led November 7, 1916. Serial N o. 129,917.

ticularly designed and adapted for the treatment of green cocoanut meat to produce copra. The nuts after being broken are received into by machine and partially dried until the meat separates from the fragments of shell, whereupon the partially dried material is delivered to a picking table where operators pick out the fragments of shell, and the meat is then conveyed to another portion of the apparatus where the drying is completed.

An object of my invention is to provide an apparatus for this purpose which will be continuous and automatic in its operation, reducing the handling of the material to minimum. Another object is to provide an apparatus which will be simple and eX- peditious in its operation andfin which the liability to derangement will be minimized. Other general objects are reliability in operation, and simplicity, inexpensiveness, and compactness of construction. Still other objects and advantages of my invention will appear from the following description.

My invention resides in the features of construction and arrangements and combinations of parts hereinafter fully described and as pointed out in the appended claims.

Figure 1 isV a side elevation of a complete apparatus embodying my invention; I

Fig. 2 isa front end elevation of the same;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of the rear end of the same;

Fig. 4 is a plan of the same;

Figs. 5 and 6 are details, in planand section, respectively, of a fragment of a conveyer belt or apron; and

Figs. 7 and 8 are details, in section and plan, respectively, of a fragment of a bottom plate.

There is a single dryinof chamber in the illustrated construction, although manifestly the partial and finalV dryincr might take place in different chambers. b'lhis chamber is shown as having its four walls composed of brick, the two side .walls and-the front Wall being reinforced with steel truss work of well known construction against the outer Vfaces thereof. For a foundation suitable concrete footings are provided. An eX- cavation is made underneath the entire structure forming a passage 1 by Which preheated air is delivered to the bottom of the drying chamber. This passage 1 progressively decreases in depth toward the rear of the structure in order to provide for the equal distribution of the heated air to all parts of the chamber.

The floor or bottom of thechamber is composed of a plurality of removable plates 2 as shown in Figs. 3, 7 and 8. These plates extend transversely of the chamber and rest upon transverse angle irons 3 which are supported by longitudinal angle irons L secured to the side walls of the chamber. The bottom plates 2 are perforated for the admission of the heated air, the perforations being formed by making semi-circular cuts leaving the deflector lips 2a which are turned down to the position shown in order to direct the air into the chamber.

The top or roof of the chamber consists of a plurality of transverse roof plates 5 which are preferably formed of corrugated iron and are arched as shown, resting upon transverse angle irons 52L which are supported on. plates on the top of the wall. These roof plates are covered with a layer of concrete 6, and two ventilator openings 7 are provided in the roof which may com-- municate with a stack.

Running longitudinally of this drying vchamber are a plurality of endless conveyers arranged one above the other. These conveyers compose two sets, the upper set being utilized for the preliminary or partial drying, and the lower set being utilized for the final drying. In the construction shown, there are three endless conveyers in each set, the conveyers 8, 9 and 10 combeing both for the purpese of convenience a l manipulation and also to facilitate the feeding of material thereto, as ivill hereinafter appear.

The construction of these conveyers is illustrated in detail in Figs. 5 and 6. 'llhey are composed of a plurality of open links 141, the ends of which are provided with transverse openings for the reception of the transverse pivot and clamping bolts 15. Prefer ably the links in the consecutive longitudinal courses are staggered as shown in Fig. 5. Side plates 16 are provided along the outer edge of each belt portion, being composed of shortsections which are spaced apart a suflicient distance to permit of the articulation around the sprocket Wheels. Preferably the fragments of the :cocoanuts are. screened before being fed to the drier, in Which operation allifraginents smaller than the opening in the links of the conveyors are remover. The sprocket Wheels are mounted upon transverse shafts which extend through the brick Walls and iind their bearings inthe steel reinforcement. As shovvn, there are fourteen sprocket ,Wheels on each transverse shaft seven for each half' of the conveyor, and the teeth engage in the links of the conveyer which are suitably formed for that purpose.

As' indicated by the arroivs in Figs. 1 and 3, the intermediate conveyers 9 and 12 run in an opposite direction to that of the other eonveyers of the respective sets. Power is applied to the pulley 17, and on the opposite end of the pulley shaft 18 is a Worm 19 Which drives a Worm Wheel in the casing 2O on the shaft 21.

r1`his'shaft 21 drives the sprocket vvheels for the conveyers on the front end of the apparatus. @n the end of the shaft 21 adjacent the Worin drive is a sprocket Wheel 22 which is connected by a sprocket chain to a sprocket Wheel 23 on the shaft of the driving sprocket Wheels 8a of the uppermost con veyer 8, the sprocket Wheel 22 being so proportioned in size toy that of the sprocket Wheel 23' that a reduction in speed results. @n the shaft of the sprocket Wheel 23 is another sprocket Wheel 21 of the same size which is connected by a sprocket chain to a sprocket Wheel 25, also of the same size, on the shaft of the driving sprocket Wheels of the conveyer 10.

On the shaft of the sprocket Wheel 25 is asmaller sprocket ivheel 26 which is connected by a sprocket chain to a sprocket Wheel 27 on the shaft of the driving sprocket vvheelsof the uppermost conveyor 11 of the lovver set, the relative size of the sprocket Wheels 26 and 27 being` such that a reduction in speed results. @n the shaft of the sprocket 27 is another sprocket ivheel 23 of the same size which is connected by a. sprocket chain to a sproc ret ivheel 29 on the shaft of the driving sprocket Wheels of the lower conveyor 13. Thereby the conveyers 3, 10, 11 and 13 are all driven in the same direction, but the conveyers 11 and 13 are driven at a lovver speed than that of the conveyors 8 and 10.

On the end of the shaft 21 opposite the Worin drive is a sprocket Wheel 30 which is connected 'by a sprocket chain to a sprocket ivheel 31 on the shaft of the driving sprocket Wheels of the conveyer 9 and drives the conveyer 9 oppositely to conveyors S and 10, the sprocket chain being crossed for this purpose and the tvvo sprocket Wheels 30 and 31 being so proportioned that the conveyer 9 is driven at the saine speed as that of the conveyers 3 and 10. @n the shaft of the sprocket Wheel 31 is asinaller sprocket Wheel 32 which is connected by a sprocket chain to asprocket Wheel 33 on the shaft of the driving sprocket Wheels of -Lthe conveyor 12, whereby the conveyer 12 is driven in the direction opposite to that of the conveyers 11 and 13. The tvvo sprocket Wheels 32.and 33 are so proportioned in size that the conveyer 12 has the same speed as that of the conveyors 11 and 13.

T he sprocket Wheels 8b, 9b, 10b, 11b, 12b and 3h at the rear end of the conveyors, are made adjustable in order to keep the conveyers taut. The shafts extend through slots in the brick Walls andbear in longitudinally adjustable blocks 3C, 9C, 10C, 11C, 12C and 13C, respectively. These bearingblocks slide in suitable Ways supportedon the steel reinforcing frame and are adjusted by feed screws 3, 9d, 10d, 11d, 12d and 13d, respectively, as shoivn in Fig. 1. 1t Will be understood that this construction is duplicated on the other end of the shafts.

To support the conveyors at points intermediate of the sprocket Wheels, idler rollers 3/-1 are employed', the'shafts of which extend through the side Walls and bear in Ysuitable bearings in the steel Work, as shovvn in Fig. 1.

The several conveyors are all ofthe same length but the intermediate conveyers 9 and 12 are disposed longitudinally farther Within the chamber than their cooperating conveyors, as a result of which the upper conveyer of each et dumps its material upon the intermediate conveyor at the inner end, and the intermediate conveyer dumps its material upon the loiver con'veyer at the outer ond. Curved guide plates 35, 36, 3T and 33 are attached to theend Walls and are positioned to direct the material upon the conveyors 9, 10, 12 and 13, respectively. This dumping from one conveyor to an-v other serves in lieu of the customary turning by hand to stir up the material and eX- pedite the drying.

rhe material is delivered to the conveyers 3 and 11 by inclined shakers 39 and L10, respectively, which are of the same construction. The shaker 39 is pivoted substantially centrally upon a pivot 39a which is npstanding on a bracket 39b on the front wall of the struct-ure. An opening is provided through the front wall into which the inner end of the shaker extends and overhangs the outer end of the conveyer 8. The inner end of the shaker is divided, as shown in Fig. 4, forming a double spout, one of which overhangs each half of the conveyer and is of such a width that it just reaches the edges thereof in its oscillation. The material is thereby evenly distributed on the conveyer. In fact it is manifest that by thus dividing the conveyer and shaker a more even distribution is obtained than would be the case with a full width shaker and conveyer. The shaker is oscillatcd by an eccentric 39c on the shaft 18 which is operatively connected to the shaker back of the pivot by a pitman 39d. The shaker 4() is similarly operated from shaft 40f which is driven from shaft 18 by sprocket wheels 39e and 40e connected by a sprocket chain, as shown. The shaker 40 extends through an opening in the wall provided for the purpose and coperates with the conveyer 11 precisely as the shaker 39 coperates with the conveyer 8.

In operating to produce copra, the fragments of cocoanut are delivered, preferably by a suitable automatic conveyer, to the shaker 39 by which they are distributed to the continuously running conveyer 8, from which they pass successively to the conveyers 9 and l0. The speed of these conveyers is regulated to give the material suflicient time in the drying chamber to cause the meat to contract and release from the shell. From the conveyer 11 they are dumped on to a slide 41 from which they are conveyed to a picking table 42 by a screw conveyer 42a, where operators sort over the Vmaterial and remove the shells. ered to the shaker 40, preferably by an automatic screw conveyer 42b similar to the y conveyer 42a. As explained above the second set of conveyers are preferably made to run slower than the irst set, which is possible by reason of the fact that the material occupies less space with the shell re- The meat is then delivmoved. By the time it has traversed the three conveyers 11, 12 and 13, the meat is thoroughly dried andr is delivered to the slide 43 from the last conveyer, whence it is conducted to the desired depository.

It is obvious that various modifications may be made in the construction shown in the drawings and aibove particularly described, within the principle and scope of my invention.

I claim:

1. A drying machine comprising a drying chamber, means for delivering preheated air to the bottom thereof, and removable plates forming the bottom of the chamber, the plates being perforated and provided .with depending deflector blades for directing the air through theperforations.

2. A drying machine comprising a drying chamber, a passage for preheated air underneath the drying chamber, said passage progressively diminishing in cross-section from its intake to its opposite end, means for delivering preheated air to the intake end of the passage, and removable plates forming the bottom of the chamber, the plates being perforated and provided with depending defiector blades inclined toward the intake end of the passage and serving to direct the air through the perforations.

3. A cocoanut meat drying machine comprising a drying chamber having a perforated bottom, means for delivering preheated air to the bottom, a plurality of endless conveyers in the chamber disposed one above the other, and arranged in two sets, each conveyer except the lowermost of each set being arranged to deliver its contents to the conveyer immediately below, two chutes, one -arranged to receive the contents from each lowermost conveyer, and impelling means for the conveyers arranged to drive one set at one rate and the other set at another rate.

In witness whereof I subscribe my signature, in the presence of two witnesses.

' ALDE-N B. STARR.

Witnesses:

WALDo M. CHAPIN, MARY G. HART.

Copies of this patent may be obtainedfor ive cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

